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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032261">Bond in Breaking</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira'>Kalira</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Blood, Chuunin Exams, F/M, Friendship, Hopeful Ending, Hospitalization, Near Death, NejiHina Week, NejiHina Week 2020, No Unhappy Ending, Serious Injuries, Soulmates</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:28:55</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,832</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28032261</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalira/pseuds/Kalira</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When he faces her in the preliminary match-ups of the Chuunin Exams and Hinata refuses to back down, Neji is determined to push her until he makes his point - or she breaks.</p><p>But Hinata is stronger than anyone knows, and she won't be the thing that breaks with the weight of their shared pain and spilt blood.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hyuuga Hinata/Hyuuga Neji</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>77</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Kalira's NejiHina Week Stories (2020)</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Bond in Breaking</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written for <a href="https://nejihinata.tumblr.com/post/633513960386215936">NejiHina Week 2020</a>, Day 1: Almost</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Back down!” Neji barked, glaring at Hinata and watching her tenketsu at the same time.</p><p>“I won’t!” Hinata drew herself up, struggling for breath even as she settled herself into a perfect stance again. “I can face you!”</p><p>Neji bared his teeth, forcing down the dull aches all over his body - the days in Shi no Mori had been hard, and being thrown into this preliminary combat round immediately. . .</p><p>He appreciated the chance to face one of the hated Main House members, if only-</p><p>Neji deflected Hinata’s strikes easily and lunged forwards, hitting her in the shoulder, just shy of being able to close off another tenketsu. He huffed, gritting his teeth against another throb going through his back, then his shoulder as he raised his hands once more.</p><p>Neji shook it off. It was <i>Hinata</i>, he could beat her and then he would have a month to recover and train before the <i>real</i> battles.</p><p>Hinata lunged and Neji sidestepped, twisted, lashed out with one foot and drove her back even as his breath caught painfully. He followed through, ignoring the pain and shortness of breath - he had been training with Gai-sensei for over a year, and on his own for far longer; he was stronger than this - and chasing after Hinata as she stumbled.</p><p>She was already gathering herself again and Neji didn’t give her time, knocking aside her wrist as she brought it into position and not bothering to hold back - this was a <i>serious</i> battle, and Hinata had refused to back down when she had the chance, and even now.</p><p>Neji slammed his palm directly into her chest, hard enough to crack bone.</p><p>Hinata choked, her eyes wide and her face crumpling. She coughed, blood trickling over her lips, but Neji barely noticed that as his chest was suddenly on <i>fire</i>, where he had <i>certainly</i> not taken an injury, his breastbone aching as he choked on his own breath. He tasted blood as he stumbled, and suddenly there were warm hands catching him, supporting him easily.</p><p>“Medic!” Gai-sensei bellowed behind him, and Neji wanted to protest - he hadn’t been so severely injured, not before and not in this fight - but he couldn’t breathe, and-</p><p><i>His soulmate</i>, Neji realised suddenly. With the <i>worst</i> timing, but it wasn’t the first time he had been laid low by some agonising injury sustained by his soulmate, who had been getting battered regularly for most of his life.</p><p>Hinata stumbled, collapsing to her knees, and Neji wondered if he had won this battle in the eyes of the proctor even if he <i>had</i> succumbed to a soulwound. His eyes dropped along with Hinata and he saw the small puddle of blood before her as she wheezed silently, coughing on more blood just as Neji choked thickly, dark spots dancing in his vision, Gai-sensei’s grip the only thing keeping him on his feet. Fresh blood welled over his tongue. What had his soulmate managed to get-</p><p>Neji stiffened, jerking out of Gai-sensei’s arms, eyes fixed on Hinata.</p><p>Hinata who was coughing up blood from the blow-</p><p>The blow <i>Neji</i> had dealt her. “Hinata-sama.” Neji coughed, her name coming out weak and breathy and tasting thickly of blood. “<i>Hinata.</i>”</p><p>Hinata looked up, her eyes glassy. “Neji-nii-san.” she wheezed, and Neji fell to one knee, putting one hand on the concrete floor. His fingertips dipped into sticky blood and he cringed as he hadn’t flinched - not even a <i>hesitation</i> - when he had been battering at her, when he had-</p><p>Hinata shuddered, twitching, and an iryou-nin caught her, hands already glowing green, one immediately rising to her neck, then passing slowly over her chest. The shadowy black thickened in Neji’s vision and his head hung lower, only barely feeling the agony in his chest. Enough to think- To know-</p><p><i>Neji</i> had done that to his <i>soulmate</i>.</p><p>“Neji!” Gai-sensei demanded his attention, and for the first time Neji didn’t even struggle to answer his sensei - the man who had fought for his respect and earned it, forced him through so much and made him so strong, even faced down his family to demand the right to train Neji as he wished and take Neji wherever he pleased.</p><p>Neji gave up, collapsing forwards. He never felt the concrete, though he couldn’t escape the hot, sticky feeling of Hinata’s blood - or was it his own? Both?</p><hr/><p>“Where is Hinata?” Neji rasped the instant he was awake, not even processing where he was yet, only seeing white and green and eye-smarting light.</p><p>“Neji!”</p><p>Gai-sensei. That was good. Of course Gai-sensei would be there, Neji thought a moment later, disjointed; Gai-sensei was always there when any of them were injured, refused to leave them. The first injury Neji had taken after his graduation, on a C-rank out of the village, had been the first time he could remember anyone sitting with him in the hospital - if he even made it to the hospital when he was hurt.</p><p>“Lie still!”</p><p>Neji frowned. “Hinata.” he rasped again, struggling to sit up. “Is she-”</p><p>“Neji! Careful!”</p><p>Hands caught his arm and side, helping steady him as he wheezed painfully, chest on fire. He could still taste blood, and he cringed at it on his tongue.</p><p>“Hinata is in no worse shape than you are, Neji.” Gai-sensei said soothingly, rubbing at his back, then up to the nape of his neck as he retched. He would rather Hinata felt better and he worse, he thought, pressing his fingers to his mouth.</p><p>“Neji! You’re awake!” Lee’s voice was loud, but not so loud as usual, Neji thought. Probably in deference to their surroundings.</p><p>“I want to see her.” Neji said, hauling himself upright a little more. Gai-sensei’s arm around his back steadied him when he faltered. “Hinata-” his voice wavered.</p><p>The room was silent for a few long moments, and Neji looked up at Gai-sensei, catching his breath.</p><p>“They are not going to let you see her, Neji.” Gai-sensei said gently, and Neji’s heart wrenched.</p><p>“I- Oh.” Neji’s fingers clenched against his chest. But. . . He couldn’t be surprised. “Oh, of. . .”</p><p>Of course they wouldn’t. Neji had nearly <i>killed</i> her- nearly killed them both.</p><p>His chest ached deep down far more than the physical pain of the soulwound - the bone that had broken under the mirror of his own blow.</p><p>“Is she all right?” Neji asked, and Lee clasped his free hand, startling him.</p><p>“I will go to see her for you.” Lee said quietly, his eyes sympathetic. “. . .is there anything I can do?”</p><p>Neji’s heart wrenched. “Thank you.” he managed, and Lee squeezed his hand. “Tell her I’m sor-” he broke off. “Tell her I would like to see her, when she- <i>if</i> she-” He stopped and shook his head, taking a breath. “No, don’t. She shouldn’t worry about it. Me. Now. Just,” he hesitated, “will you take her a sunflower? She. . . They’re her favourite, she should have one.”</p><p>“I will.” Lee smiled at him.</p><p>“Lee, would you send in an iryou nin before you leave?” Gai-sensei asked, and Lee nodded.</p><p>Neji grimaced. “How is Tenten?” he asked, feeling guilty as he suddenly remembered she had been nearly been broken in <i>half</i> by the sneering Suna kunochi, a few rounds before he and Hinata had been called down to the floor. Would have been even more hurt if Lee hadn’t dropped down to catch her before she could be thrown onto her own weaponry.</p><p>“Tenten will be fine.” Lee promised, and Neji sighed, relaxing a little. “She is already awake and arguing to get out of bed.”</p><p>Neji almost smiled. That sounded like her. Neji might have resisted it, <i>them</i>, as best he could, but . . . they were his teammates. The best friends he had. He bit his lip, looking at Lee again.</p><p>“How did you-”</p><p>“I will go see Hinata-chan!” Lee said, patting his hand. “I will get an iryou nin for you first, and I will return after, Neji.”</p><p>Then he was gone, and Neji licked his lips. “How did his match go?” he asked weakly.</p><p>“Lee won, naturally!” Gai-sensei said, squeezing Neji’s shoulder. “Chouji recovered with a little rest. And <i>you</i> should rest, once the iryou nin take a look at you.”</p><p>“How can you- I. . .” Neji hated the burning feeling of tears. “After what I did. . .”</p><p>How could Gai-sensei stand. . . <i>Gai-sensei</i>, with all his-</p><p>“Oh, Neji.” Gai-sensei hugged him gently, one hand settling at the nape of his neck. “We all make mistakes, and you have . . . very good reason for the feelings you carry, in regards to your clan.”</p><p>“Not against Hinata.” Neji admitted painfully. Hinata who had never harmed him herself, whatever their family had done - Hinata who he had nearly killed along with himself - Hinata who <i>could have</i> laid him low with a single seal at the beginning of their battle, yet had refused to do so even when she was choking on her own blood.</p><p>“That is good.” Gai-sensei said, just as the door swung open again. “Remember that, and I am sure that Hinata-chan will be willing to see you, once you are both strong enough.”</p><p>As though there might be hope, Neji wondered.</p><p>Fuck, but if he didn’t wish. . . Neji wheezed shallowly and fought not to cry, focusing on the iryou nin that hurried in only a few moments later to check him over.</p><hr/><p>Hinata hesitated just outside the hospital doors, one hand rising to her chest. It didn’t hurt much any more, and the bone was mostly healed - she’d been told not to train for two more weeks, not to lift anything heavier than a teapot for one, and to avoid sparring for a full month, but breathing no longer pained her and she could move almost easily.</p><p>She didn’t need to remain under the watchful care of iryou nin any longer, and while she was grateful for the care they had given her - and a little anxious to be leaving the hospital - she was relieved to be walking out on her own now.</p><p>Neji was ahead of her, some twenty paces off, under the shade of a small, flowering tree, though he wasn’t moving. His back was to her.</p><p>Hinata hadn’t explicitly agreed to meet him, even to see him, and she- she thought even if he saw her he would let her go, if she chose not to do so. She was not terribly surprised to find that she didn’t . . . really want to avoid him.</p><p>Her chest throbbed with pain more remembered than anything, and she toyed with the sunflower that had been the latest in a succession of those brought by Neji’s earnestly polite and cheerful teammate Lee in his name - along with news of Neji. Many things Hinata suspected Neji would not have liked him to say.</p><p>Or perhaps Neji would. Perhaps knowing what she was to him, what <i>they</i> were. . .</p><p>Perhaps Neji would <i>wish</i> to be . . . known, by her if by no other.</p><p>Hinata’s throat tightened and she made her way across the square towards Neji. There was no one with her to express doubt, though she knew Kiba, at least, would have if he were present, and perhaps her sensei as well; she had told her teammates not to worry about her, and her father was not. . . a concern. He had not visited since the first time, the day after she had woken up.</p><p>“Neji-nii-san.” Hinata said, then frowned, breath hitching. Perhaps she shouldn’t have-</p><p>“Hinata!” Neji turned to face her immediately, his eyes wide and his expression more open than she had ever seen it.</p><p>. . .no, that wasn’t true, Hinata thought, remembering through a dark haze the shocked and agonised look that had transformed his face as he had collapsed before her, blood spilling over his lips and chin. She shuddered.</p><p>Neji bowed, dropping to his knees, and Hinata stifled a yelp, stiffening. “Neji- Please- Oh <i>no</i>.” she breathed.</p><p>“No apology I can offer,” Neji said softly, “could possibly be deep and-”</p><p>“Neji, <i>please</i>.” Hinata dropped down before him, feeling a dull ache in her breastbone that linked up with the twisting, stabbing pain deeper in her chest. “Please don’t- Not like this.” She reached out, only realising she’d let her sunflower fall as her fingertips made contact with Neji’s smooth cheek and jaw. She swallowed unsteadily as Neji’s eyes rose to meet her own, but didn’t quail.</p><p>Neji’s expression was crumpled and sorrowful, and still so painfully open, and he hadn’t flinched from her touch but his breathing was ragged as though it hurt and-</p><p>“Please don’t do this.” Hinata said softly, swallowing. “You aren’t. . . You should never. . . Don’t lower yourself this way for me.” <i>For anyone</i> she wanted to add, but couldn’t force out the words.</p><p>“After what I did to you, to <i>us</i>, how I <i>treated</i> you,” Neji said brokenly, “Hinata, there can be no repar- I am <i>so sorry</i>.” He bowed his head again, nudging into her hands with the movement, though she was sure it was incidental.</p><p>It sparked something cold and angry in her stomach. “If you feel that way then we will never be able to be anything more than this.” she said almost harshly, and Neji stiffened, jerking up to look at her. “And I-” She drew back, collecting her sunflower - it was unharmed - from the street at her side and cradling it in her hands.</p><p>“Hinata?” Neji asked, thin and raw.</p><p>“Lee-kun said you wished to speak with me, if I willed it.” Hinata said softly, eyes on the flower Lee had brought her, from Neji, yesterday. She could still see Neji’s expression.</p><p>“Lee- I told him not to ask you any- Not to <i>press</i> you.” Neji grimaced. “I’m-”</p><p>“Don’t be angry with him.” Hinata said, drawing herself up a little. “I’m glad he did.” She paused. “I needed to hear it; that you wanted. . .” She lowered her eyes.</p><p>“Hinata. . .”</p><p>“I needed to hear about <i>you</i>.” Hinata raised her gaze again, determined. It had been . . . a relief and a pleasure to hear about <i>Neji</i>, not only his reaction to their newly-revealed bond and to their - her - injuries, but his life, and what he was like, from someone who cared deeply for him. Things Hinata had been forbidden or simply denied for years, though she had memories of Neji from when she was very young, a steady, sweet, smiling figure at her side.</p><p>And then, suddenly, as with all the happy things of her childhood, he had been gone.</p><p>Now given an unexpected chance, Hinata wanted him back, and if he was open to their bond she was <i>not</i> going to allow his guilt or their hurts to keep them apart again.</p><p>“Lee brought me your messages.” Neji said, his voice thin. “Thank you.”</p><p>Hinata tilted her head. Lee had been very sweet. So had her teammates, though Kiba had gotten very shouty for a while and Kurenai-sensei - though clearly very upset herself - had been forced to nearly sit on him until he calmed down.</p><p>Naruto had come to visit as well, surprising her, and . . . had been alarming and exhausting as Hinata worked herself into near-tears trying to stop him going to punish Neji further for what he had done, but he had helped her too, she thought. In the end.</p><p>And she could <i>talk</i> in his presence now. Hinata pinked.</p><p>“Will you speak with me, then?” Neji asked softly, staying low but not quite bowing again.</p><p>Hinata looked away, then gestured. “Shall we take tea together?” she suggested in answer, directing his attention to a side-street Hinata happened to know held - further down, out of easy sight - a lovely, quiet, traditional teashop in which her father would never be found.</p><p>Shino had taken her there after one of her hospital visits shortly after they became a team; his aunt owned it. It had become one of Hinata’s favourite places and one of the few where she could disappear to simply be calm and have no one - almost no one - know.</p><p>She wouldn’t mind sharing it with Neji, she thought.</p><p>“Yes, that would be. . .” Neji rose stiffly, then extended a hand to her, careful and open.</p><p>Hinata smiled as she took it, allowing him to help her to her feet. She hid a wince at the ache in her chest, then smiled as she gently tucked her hand around Neji’s arm. He went terribly still and slightly stiff, but he didn’t pull away, and he let her guide him.</p><p>Hinata couldn’t help but focus on the rhythm of their steps as they walked together, falling in time with one another without effort. She said a tiny prayer, hoping with every soft, soundless step that their bond. . . That it could be a joy, not another yoke.</p><p>Neji’s fingers brushed along her forearm as they parted, settling on either side of a small table in the teashop. He met her eyes steadily, and even smiled when she reached out across the table, clasping her hand in his.</p><p>Hinata’s heart lightened and she squeezed Neji’s hand gently.</p>
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